Couple in court: "We're not violent, just argumentative"

by r33irby

Ross Irby
Reporter
Reporter Ross Irby has wander-lust mixed with a sense of adventure, spending way too many years roaming about Australia, its back roads and off-shore foreign lands.
Enjoys a yarn, story telling and tales, along with curiosity to find out about the lives and (mis)adventures of others.
An off-beat sense of humour, not taking it all too seriously, along with big doses of flexibility/adaptability whatever the situation is the best way to go.
You have to have the life experiences to have empathy...

A GRUMBLING husband let rip to a sympathetic Gladstone magistrate with his tales of woe over his wife's lapses in not doing domestic chores.

Charged with a domestic violence breach after the couple's neighbours called police when they heard them yelling and screaming at each other, the man was quick to give voice in court and bemoan his frustrations.

"We are not violent people, we are just a little argumentative," he said to magistrate Mark Morrow.

"My wife has a problem with chores because she has to work," he said.

"She has a problem with helping out around the property.

"We end up arguing. After many years, marriage is marriage and we are trying our best to resolve them."

The man said their house was not soundproof so their voices echoed all over the neighbourhood.

With his wife listening while seated in the public gallery, Mr Morrow said it was only fair to have her say as she was being blamed.

"It's not about a blame game," said her husband.

"You can't just let them (police) drag a man out of his home every time, what's good for the goose is good for the gander."

Standing beside her husband in the courtroom, his wife explained how she has in their many years of marriage looked after their large brood of children and also worked.

"The conflict is I've done more than he's done," she said.

Mr Morrow asked if they could resolve it peacefully, saying that at the end of the day, generally it was the women who ended up doing most of the housework.

With the magistrate now treading on egg shells, and potential dynamite in any marriage, there was not a sound in the court.

"We've been resolving this a great many years," said the husband.

Mr Morrow then suggested relationship counselling.

"I've suggested that but she refuses to go," said the husband.

"I will go on my own but not together," said his wife.

Mr Morrow said "little steps first" were good but eventually they would need to attend together.

The courtroom chat was positive with the Gladstone couple agreeing to seek counselling. Mr Morrow put the husband on good behaviour for six months with a $250 recognizance.